Ments



May 26, 1931. E. F. HODGKINS 806,626

MACHINE FOR FINISHING THE SHANKS OF SHOES Filed May 21, 1923 I I I I OX 0 I i /0 I I Flgl. i i w g i 14 I I E i J5 E i ff d 1 7 l 56 LJ m Patented May 26, 1931 I F A' T ATE-T- F 1 1 ED A D I. HonGxINs, OFBEVERIQY,'MASSACHUSETTS, AssI noR, BY MEsNE ASSIGN- MEN'rsro UNITED SHOE, MACHINERY COREORATION, or rATERsoN, NEW JERSEY,

A' CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY mourns FOR rrmsnme THE sneaks or srions Application filed May 21,

This invention relates to machines for finishing the shanks of shoess The invention is illustrated as embodied in a slianlobufling machinehaving an abrading tool of the r0- tary type which is-so arranged that it may be applied to all parts of the, shanks of shoes ofvarious types without injury to the rest oftheshoes. i Y Particularly, difiiculty is experienced in bufling orsanding the shanks of womens shoes'in which the shankis severely arched. The high heel which goes With this type of shoe has abreast portion which overhangs the shank in such a fashion that it is very diflicult to apply the ordinary typeof bufling toolto the shank close to the breast of the heel. The overhang of the heel interferes with the driving mechanismof the tool and with the casing for such driving mechanism when any attempt is madeto operateupon the shank of the shoe in proximity to the heelbreast,and thusprevents the operator from working up to the very edge of the heel breast. Theoverhang of the heel also prevents proper manipulation between the tool and the shoe while attempting to operate upon the shank close to the heel breast, such manipulation being at all times desirable and-particularly so in cases Where the shank'of the shoe is severely arched.

Buffing tools 1 are well'known in the art which provide an axially mounted rotary pad to the radial face of which there maybe ap plied a sand-paper sheet which-is adapted to he removed and replaced as the occasion requires; For the reasons above pointed out, it

becomes very difficult to apply such a tool to all parts of the shanks of certain. shoes such as. those described above. i

In view oftheseconsiderations, the present invention aimsto' providea shank-finishing. machine having an abrading tool constructed and arranged to be better adapted for presentation to the shank-of a shoe and especially the parts adjacent toithe heel breast! 1 r 7 Accordingly, a feature of the inventionconsists' ofua novel organization of the type referred' to in which a rotary bufling tool having 7 a radial working'fface is L driven by r ashaft whichis normaltothe'plane of rotation of the 1926. Serial N0. 640,490. 7

tool and offset from the tool axis, the bufiingi tool extending radially beyond its supporting means. The offset relation of the driveshaft' to the bufiing'tool and the radial extension of the bufling tool beyond its supporting means enable the drive shaft and the supporting means, respectively, to clear an overhanging heel breast when the bufiing tool is operating upon the shank close to the heel-breast line. In the illustrated machine the supporting means is in the form'of acasing from the opposite sides of which the drive shaft and the tool shaft, respectively, extend. 1

A detailed description. of one preferred embodiment of the invention will be found in the accompanying specification, reference being had to the drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical elevation, partlyin section, of a preferred formof abrading tool 7 embodying the invention and driving mechanism therefor; 1

V. Figure 2 is a perspective view ofithis tool a substantiallyvertical shaft 11 which may be driven through a pulley 12 and belt 13 from any convenientsource of power In my novel arrangementpl" have mounted at the lower end of 'aslceve 14," which isadjustably mountedfin, the bracket lO, theupper part 15 of a closed casing or'frame which,

with its lower part 16, completely-coversco-, acting driving gears 17 and 18a The shaft 19 of the gear 18 projects below the casing and is. provided with a flanged support 20;

for a rotary pad of flexible material 22 supported so that fits radial face is free for ap" pli'cation to the work; Surrounding this flexiblepad is anabrasive covering comprising a non-abrasive canvas disk 24 having serrated edges forming tabs 26' which are adapted to be folded over the upperedgeof the pad 22 and clamped thereon by a screw threaded ring 28 which may be turned down by a suitable wrench tightly to hold the pad and cover on the flange 20; and an abrasive disk of sheet material cemented to the outer surface of the disk 2a in a manner more particularly to be set forth in a following paragraph, said abrasive disk 25 being substantially coextensive with the working face of the pad and not extending up over the periphery thereof. It will be noted that the two parts of the casing for the co-acting gears may be held together by suitable screws 30, and that the casing comprises a support ing means for the abrading tool. A cover 32 pivoted on a pin 34; and held in position by a spring 36 may be provided for covering an oiling hole 38 devised for supplying lubrication to the gears and the shafts within the casing. One end of the upper casing 15 is beveled off as at 40 to prevent interference with the heel of the shoe when the tool is presented to that part of the shank which is immediately adjacent to the breast of the heel as shown in Figure 1.

In the modified form of driving mechanism illustrated in Figure 3, the sleeve 44 supports a shaft 41 which is provided at its lower end with a small pulley 47. Projectin g laterally from the lower end of the sleeve -14 is a flange 42 which is slotted at 43 to allow the reception of a bolt 45 which passes through the two parts of a split casing of similar form to that shown in Figure 1'. In this particular arrangement, however, the parts 46 and l8 of the casing, which are held together by screws 49, are designed at one end to form a bearing for a stub shaft 50 carrying a pulley 51 and at its lower end a tool having an abrasive cover 24 and a clamping ring 28 exactly similar to the tool shown in the preferred arrangement. A driving belt 52 passes around the pulleys 47 and 51 and is adapted to cause rapid rotation of the abrasive covering when power is applied to the shaft 41.

lVith either of these arrangements it will be obvious that an operator can readily bring the active edge of his tool along the shank of the shoe until it approaches the line of division between the shank and the breast of the heel. By mounting the tool on an offset stub shaft and removing a portion of the supporting casing therefor, it is very easy to present the tool to all parts of the shank and to avoid scarring the breast of the heel. Further, scarring of the breast is avoided because of the fact that, as above pointed out, the abrasive material does not extend over the peripheral portion of the pad, and that there-is no abrasive material on the tabs 26 of the canvas cover which are brought around the edge of the rota-ting'pad, it being these parts which would ordinarily'contact with the breast of the heel when the lower and active surface of the tool is being brought along the shank to a point closely adjacent to the heel.

A novel form of covering disk herein disclosed and shown separately in Fig. l is provided with a circular sheet 25 of some form of commercial emery cloth or its equivalent. Inspection of this figure shows that the amount of abrasive material used is very considerably reduced below what would be required if the heel cover with its tabs 26 were cut from it and thus notable economy is effected. It will be further noted that with applicants novel arrangement of a centrally disposed, resiliently supported sheet of abrasive material it is possible to attach this disk to the cover 24 by means of a spot of cement 27 which does not extend fully to the edges of the disk 25. The abrasive sheet material of itself is relatively stiff and if adhesive is applied fully to the edges thereof in attaching it to the cover 24 it makes the serviceable part, namely the annular ring adjacent to the periphery, very stiff and unyielding. It is possible, however, with applieants arrangement to leave the edge of the disk 25 unattached and relatively flexible (see also Fig. 1), thereby securing a marked: advantage in the use of the tool for delicate work. The herein described disk 25 is intended for use in both embodiments of the invention; i. e., the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and that illustrated in Fig. 3. The novel features of the tool and cover herein disclosed are not claimed in this application but are disclosed and claimed in my divisional application Serial No. 490,291, filed October 21, 1930.-

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A machine for buffing the shanks of shoes having high heels with overhanging breasts, comprising a rotary bufiing tool having a radial working face, supporting means for said tool, and drivingmeans for said tool including a shaft extending in a line normal to the plane of rotation of said. tool, the shaft of said driving means being offset from the axis of the tool to avoid: interference with the overhang of the heel breast when the tool is in operation upon the shank: and in proximity to the heel breast, and said tool extending radially beyond said supporting means.

2. A machine for bufiing the shanks of shoes having high heels with overhanging breasts comprising a drive shaft, a. driven shaft, the axes ofsaid shafts-being disposed in parallel lines and said driven shaft extending beyond an end of said drive shaft, drivingand supporting connections between said shafts, and a rotary abrading tool mounted on said driven shaft beyond said endof said drive shaft, said drive shaftbeing enabled, by reason of its parallel relation. to. said drivenshaft, to clear the overhanging heel breast when the tool is operating upon a portion of the shank adjacent thereto.

3. A bufling machine for use on shoes having high heels with overhanging breasts, comprising a frame, a-bufling tool rotatably carried by said frame on one side thereof and extending radially beyond an edge of said frame, a drive shaft parallel to the axis of said tool and spaced a greater distance from said edge of said frame than said tool axis to enable said drive shaft to clear the overhanging heel breast when said tool isoperating upon a portion of the shank adj acent. thereto, said drive shaft being constructed and arranged to be driven from a source of power disposed on the opposite side of said frame, and a driving connection between said shaft and said tool.

4. A machine for buffing the shanks of shoes having high heels with overhanging breasts, comprising a supporting casing, two shafts extending respectively from opposite sides of the casing and having their axes disposed in parallel lines, one of said shafts being adapted for attachment to driving mechanism outside of said casing, driving connections between said shafts, and an abrading tool carried by the other shaft and extending radially beyond-said casing, said first-mentioned shaft being enabled, by reason of its parallel relation to said secondmentioned shaft, to clear the overhanging heel breast when said tool is operating upon a portion of the shank adjacent thereto.

5. A machine for buffing the shanks of shoes comprising a supporting casing, a shaft therein having one end projecting outwardly from the casing for attachment to a driving mechanism and its other end enclosed within the casing, a short stub shaft substantially parallel to said shaft and pro jecting outwardly from the casing and in a direction opposite to that of the first-mew tioned shaft, said casing being provided with an oflset portion for supporting said stub shaft, spur gears connecting the said shafts, and an abrasiventool carried by the projecting end of said stub shaft and having a radial work-treating face, said tool extending radially beyond the casing to reach the portion of the shank adjacent to the breast of the heel without interference between the casing and the heel. 1

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD F. HO-DGKINS. 

